Travel & Adventures: Capri. A voyage to Capri, Naples, Italy, Europe.

A stark mass of limestone rock that rise sheerly through impossibly blue water, Capri (pronounced ca-pri) is the perfect microcosm of Mediterranean appeal – a smooth cocktail of chichi piazzas and cool cafés, Roman ruins and rugged seascapes. It’s also a hugely popular day-trip destination and a summer favourite of holidaying VIPs. Inevitably, the two main centres, Capri Town and its uphill rival Anacapri, are almost entirely given over to tourism and prices are high. But explore beyond the designer boutiques and pointedly traditional trattorias and you’ll find that Capri’s hinterland retains an unspoiled rural charm with grand villas, overgrown vegetable plots, sun-bleached peeling stucco and banks of brilliantly coloured bougainvillea.

There are few must-sees on the island but there’s one you’d be sorry to miss. The Grotta Azzurra (Blue Cave) might be Capri’s most visited sight but the impact of the ethereal blue light is no less powerful for the crowds and singing boat owners. On the island’s other extremity, the ruins of Villa Jovis testify to the presence of the infamous Tiberius.